Elastomeric interlock to prevent vertical disengagement of railway car couples

ABSTRACT

To prevent vertical disengagement of the knuckles of railway car couplers, for example Type &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;E&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; couplers, a generally ring shaped elastomeric body is provided for encircling the head of a car coupler and the knuckle of a mating car coupler. Embedded in the body is a reinforcing safety sling in the form of an endless wire cable in a position to overlie this knuckle. Mounting clips also embedded in the body, protrude therefrom and are adapted to be secured to the pivot pin of the coupler.

1 51 July 11,1972

United States Patent Krauskopf a u m M 6 9 8 6 0 l 2 6 5 54] ELASTOMERIC INTERLOCK T0 3,236,513 2/1966 Nicolaisen PREVENT VERTICAL 3,515,382 6/1970 Gallagher DISENGAGEMENT 0F RAILWAY CAR 3545-737 1970 y- COUPLES 2,224,822

[72] Inventor: William B. Krauskopf, 723 East Willow Avenue, Wheaton, [IL 60187 Nov. 23, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 91,704

Primary E.xam1ner--Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Robert R. Lockwood [22} Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT To prevent vertical disengagement of the knuckles of railway car couplers, for example Type E" couplers, a generally ring 8 3/04, 8 7/ l 4 shaped elastomeric body is provided for encircling the head of -2l3/153; 267/153 161 a car coupler and the knuckle of a mating car coupler. Em-

267/57'1 R bedded in the body is a reinforcing safety sling in the form of an endless wire cable in a position to overlie this knuckle.

1 d Ld ME H 55 [52] US. Cl.,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Mounting clips also embedded in the body, protrude therefrom and are adapted to be secured to the pivot pin of the coupler.

3,055,687 Hutton ....267/57.l R 3,l9l,897 Comerer................................267/l53 l0Clairm,4Drawing figures ELASTOMERIC INTERLOCK TO PREVENT .VERTICAL DISENGAGEMENT F RAILWAY CAR COUPLES This invention relates, generally, to railway car couplers and it has particular relation to devices for preventing vertical disengagement of mating car couplers.

Railroad experience has shown that preventing the uncoupling of railroad cars when trains are accidentally derailed reduces the seriousness of the aftermath of such an incident. In particular, keeping the cars in a train coupled together controls three typical behavior patterns for derailed cars involved in an accident. These behavior patterns include end puncture, pileup, and rollover spills. By keeping the couplers engaged in the event of a derailment it is less likely that the coupler from one car will ride up over the coupler of an adjacent car and puncture the end of the car upon coupler impact. This hazard is especially serious in connection with tank cars where the puncture of the end of it by an adjacent coupler can release large amounts of hazardous material thereby creating a danger to life and property. When cars remain coupled together during derailment it is less likely that they will pile up or domino." When pile ups do occur, the hazard of subsequent explosions and fires is greatly increased because fire or explosion in one car impinges on adjacent tanks and the effects are compounded. When the cars remain coupled after a derailment, car rollovers tend to be prevented for the reason that the fastened coupler on an upright car tends to keep the adjacent car from tipping over. Here again the hazard is reduced engagement when the conventional Type E" coupler is employed. Most freight cars in the United States are so equipped.

Various attempts have been made to maintain cars coupled in the event of a derailment. One form of car coupler presently being used is a Type F" coupler. The Type "F" coupler is a special design to prevent vertical disengagement and is substantially more complicated than the Type E coupler since it is necessary to incorporate in it extra mechanical parts to provide for vertical and lateral displacement flexibility. The Type F" coupler has many disadvantages. First, to perform the interlocking function in both upward and downward directions, mating Type F couplers on the adjacent coupled cars are needed. When Type F" engages a Type E" the Type E may move freely upward to the point of disengagement. As presently designed the Type F coupler cannot be installed readily on railroad cars presently in service. Thus, even if the Type F coupler is installed on all new railway cars, this will have only partial effect in improving the safety record of the many thousands of cars provided with the Type E" coupler which currently are in service. Secondly the Type F is significantly more expensive than the Type E coupler to install initially on railroad cars. Since the Type F" coupler is more complicated its maintenance cost is relatively high and its mechanical reliability is less favorable than for the simple Type E" coupler.

In accordance with this invention an interlock is provided that can be applied to couplers on cars already in service as well as to newly constructed cars and particularly to Type "E" couplers. The interlock comprises a molded body of high strength resilient elastomeric material which encircles the head of the coupler and at the top and bottom, overlies a part of the knuckle of a mating coupler along its upper end and lower ends. Embedded in this body and overlying at the mating coupler knuckle is a safety sling which is formed of high strength endless steel cable. Lugs or clips are integrally molded into the interlock to anchor it to the coupler, such as to the pivot pin of the knuckle and the casting cavity. The resiliency of the interlock is such as to permit normal relative vertical movements of mating couplers without any or with only slight interference. However, when the knuckles tend to vertically disengage, as in the case of a derailment, the strength of the body of elastomeric material and of the reinforcing sling is sufficient to maintain engagement between the mating knuckles.

The interlock, installed on one coupler alone of a coupled pair, performs the interlocking function. When adjacent couplers are both equipped with the interlock, sufficiently clearance is provided by means of elastic deformation, so that coupler engagement is possible and interlocking is achieved as well. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of mating railway car couplers, Type E," with an interlock constructed in accordance with this invention shown in section on one of the couplers and in top plan on the other coupler.

FIG. 2 is a view, in side elevation of the mating car couplers shown in FIG. 1, certain parts being shown in section and one of the couplers being shown by broken lines.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the safety sling that forms a part of the interlock.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 the reference character 10 designates, generally, a railway car coupler, two being shown in the mating relation as they appear when two railway cars are coupled together. For illustrative purposes a Type E" coupler is shown. However, it will be understood that other types of coupler can be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Each of the car couplers 10 comprises a head casting 11 which extends forwardly from a shank 12 that is suitably secured to the railway car. The head casting 11 has a vertical knuckle receiving recess 13 that is arranged to receive a knuckle 14 of a mating coupler 10. Each of the knuckles 14 is pivoted on the respective head 11 by a pivot pin 15. It will be understood that the knuckles 13 are held in interlocking relation or coupled relation by the conventional locking mechanism of a Type E" coupler which can be manually or otherwise released when required.

With a view to preventing vertical disengagement of the knuckles 14 in the event of a derailment or other accident while permitting normal relative vertical movement thereof during normal car operation an interlock 19, is provided, preferably for each of the car couplers 10. The interlock 19 comprises a generally rectangular body 20 of elastomeric material that has relatively high strength. For example it may be formed of castable urethane. However, other materials can be employed. The inner surface 21 of the body 20 conforms closely to the outer surface 22 of the head casting 11 and is arranged to overlie a part of the recess 13 and the knuckle 14 of the mating car coupler 10. The inner and outer surfaces 21 and 22 preferably are secured together either by adhesive, as indicated at 23, or by vulcanizing these surfaces together.

For the purpose of increasing the capability of the interlock 19 to resist vertical disengagement of the knuckles 14 during an extreme displacement a generally rectangular safety sling,

indicated at 26 in FIG. 4, is employed. The safety sling 26 is formed of endless cable 27 of high strength steel wire. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cable 27 is embedded in the body 20 of elastomeric material when it is molded to form the interlock 19. Thus the cable 27 becomes an integral part of the interlock l9 and therewith provides a unitary construction.

With a view to insuring positioning the interlocking 19 as lustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, lugs or clips 28 are employed. The lugs or clips 28 have curved portions 29 which are molded in the body 20 of elastomeric material and they are embedded therein to resist interlock displacement forces in both forward and back directions. Laterally extending sections 31 of the lugs or clips 28 are provided with apertures 32 through which the pivot pin 15 extends.

Additional interlock retaining means is provided by protrusions 33, Fig. l, which are molded integrally with the body 20 of elastomeric material. The protrusions 33 interfit with cavities 34 in the head casting 11. Two protrusions 33 and two cavities 34 are located on the right side of each head casting ll. The protrusions 33 serve to resist frontal displacement forces. The cavities 34 can be employed to accommodate integrally molded metal restraint clips should they be deemed necessary or desirable.

As pointed out the interlock 19 is applied to the'head ll of each car coupler and is positively secured thereto. The body of elastorneric material and the safety sling 26 overlie the upper and lower ends of the vertical knuckle receiving recess 13 and thereby overlie the knuckle 14 of the mating car coupler 10. There is sufficient clearance between the interlock 19 and the upper and lower ends of the knuckle 14 to permit it to move vertically without engaging the interlock 19, such relative vertical movement being incident to normal railroad car operation. Sufficient flexibility is provided in the interlock 19 to pennit a slight relative vertical movement beyond the upper or lower surface 22 of the head 11. In FIG. 3 there is illustrated by dot-dash lines the downward displacement of the knuckle 14 which is accompanied by a corresponding displacement of the body 20 of elastomeric material and of the safety sling 26 which also is illustrated by dot-dash lines. Thus the interlock 19 has sufficient resiliency to permit a range of relative vertical movement between the knuckles l4 and has sufficient mechanical strength to prevent further relative vertical movement such as would permit disengagement entirely of the knuckles 14.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be observed that the front faces 35 of the interlocks 19 are juxtaposed and preferably under moderate compression. In this manner the interlocks l9 preload their rebound capabilities. Also the proper alignment of the safety slings 26 over the opposing knuckles 14 is maintained and slack action is dampened during run in and stretch out of the train.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a railway car coupler having a head provided with a forwardly facing vertical knuckle receiving recess adapted to receive the knuckle of a mating car coupler and provided with a knuckle mounted by a pivot pin on said head, resilient means encircling said head and overlying said knuckle of said mating coupler when in said recess to limit relative vertical movement of said knuckles.

2. Resilient means according to claim 1 including an elastomeric body closely conforming along its inner surface to the juxtaposed outer surface of said head.

3. Resilient means according to claim 2 wherein means secure said inner surface of said body to said head. i

4. Resilient means according to claim 3 wherein said securing means comprises adhesive means.

5. Resilient means according to claim 2 wherein said inner surface of said body is bonded to said outer surface of said head.

6. Resilient means according to claim 1 wherein reinforcing means is embedded in said body in overlying relation to the top and bottom of said knuckle of said mating coupler when in said recess.

7. Resilient means according to claim 6 wherein said reinforcing means comprises a safety sling formed of flexible stranded endless wire.

8. The railway car coupler according to claim 7 wherein one or more mounting clips is embedded in said body and is secured to said pivot pin.

9. In combination: a pair of mating railway car couplers each having: a head provided with a vertical knuckle receiving recess facing the other head and adapted to receive the knuckle of the other coupler, and a knuckle mounted by a pivot pin on the respective head; and resilient means encircling each head and overlying the recess therein and the knuckle of the mating coupler to limit relative vertical movement of said knuckles.

10. In the combination according to claim 9 wherein each resilient means includes an elastomeric body under mutual compression in the coup led po itian of said couplers. 

1. In a railway car coupler having a head provided with a forwardly facing vertical knuckle receiving recess adaptEd to receive the knuckle of a mating car coupler and provided with a knuckle mounted by a pivot pin on said head, resilient means encircling said head and overlying said knuckle of said mating coupler when in said recess to limit relative vertical movement of said knuckles.
 2. Resilient means according to claim 1 including an elastomeric body closely conforming along its inner surface to the juxtaposed outer surface of said head.
 3. Resilient means according to claim 2 wherein means secure said inner surface of said body to said head.
 4. Resilient means according to claim 3 wherein said securing means comprises adhesive means.
 5. Resilient means according to claim 2 wherein said inner surface of said body is bonded to said outer surface of said head.
 6. Resilient means according to claim 1 wherein reinforcing means is embedded in said body in overlying relation to the top and bottom of said knuckle of said mating coupler when in said recess.
 7. Resilient means according to claim 6 wherein said reinforcing means comprises a safety sling formed of flexible stranded endless wire.
 8. The railway car coupler according to claim 7 wherein one or more mounting clips is embedded in said body and is secured to said pivot pin.
 9. In combination: a pair of mating railway car couplers each having: a head provided with a vertical knuckle receiving recess facing the other head and adapted to receive the knuckle of the other coupler, and a knuckle mounted by a pivot pin on the respective head; and resilient means encircling each head and overlying the recess therein and the knuckle of the mating coupler to limit relative vertical movement of said knuckles.
 10. In the combination according to claim 9 wherein each resilient means includes an elastomeric body under mutual compression in the coupled position of said couplers. 